Vania



@inittab tses stmt @ffies ALBERT A. FREEMAN AND SAMUEL FORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA.

IMPROVBD TRACK-CLEANER @the rlgshtle nimm te in ttm intima @tout mit making part nf tige same.

TO ALL WHOM 1Tl MAY CONCERN: Y

"Ben it knownthat we, ALBERT A. 'FREEMAN and SAMUEL Fon, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Track-Cleaners; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon, milking a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is albottom plan of our track-cleaner.

Figurel2 is a side view of same.

Figure 3 is an end viewof same.

The object of our joint invention is toprovide a truck so arranged, as hereinafter described, that ce are enabled at all times to clear. city passenger-railroad tracks' of all obstructions, such as snow, mud, ice, 81e., 82e., und also, by its peculiar arrangement, we nre enabled to distribute the sn'ow from gutter to gutter, and prevent banking, which has become, of late, so great en inconvenience after every snow-storm, by the present process used for removing the snowifrom the traclr To enable others skilled in thenrt tomnke und use.our invention., we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation'.

We make the axles A and A', and wheels W, Wl', W", and 'W"",-of the ordinary size and material used in the construction of trucks and cars for city passenger-roads. On axles A andA' is mounted the body, B, made4 `of wood, sind of any length and width to suit. On the bottom, and nt,the rear end of .the truck, is placed a cast-iron bed-plate, B P, which extends a short distance under the bottom, and projects a few inches in the rear, and made with sides corresponding with the height ofthe body B, through which bolts pass, securing it in place. 0n the under side of the bed-plate B P, and either cast or bolted to it, are bearings, 1 and 2, placed ona lino with the side of the body, B. On aline with the rear end of the truck are placed bearings 3,4, 5, 6, 7, and .8, and at the extreme edge of the bed-plate, bearings 9 and 10, all secured in the same manner as bearings 1 and 2. Between the axlesA and A' is placed n shaff, S, having its bearings` ixedon the side of the body, B. Running in bearings 1 and 2 is a shaft, S". Keyed on the centre of axles A and A and shafts S and S' are Igeared wheels G, G', G", and G"'.` On the shaft S are fourbevelled geared wheels, V, V', V", and V'", which gear into wheels-on shafts T, T', T", and T', said shafts runningjn bearings 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. On the end of shafts T, T', '.l", a'nd T"'., which project over bed-plate B P, are placed circular brooms, C B, C B', C B", and C 13". Said brooms are made of rattan or. any other vsuitable material, and in lengths to suit, end are secured in plaechy gum washers or any other suitable material, passing over the shafts, and the whole is secured by means of iron washers'and nuts. On the front end, and on top of the -body B, are placed screws S C 4and S C','(igs. and 3,) and connected' with the bearings in which axle A runs, for the purpose of elevating this endjofthel truck and lowering the rear end, thus securing the proper dip tbrooms C B, CB', C B", and G 13"', in order,l to sweep out thc tram-way of the rails, as the brooms wear away. The bearings of the shaft S are placed above the centre of the axles A and for the purpose of keeping the wheels G and G' in gear when the front end of the truck is elevated. vShaft 3 can also be arranged to Work in abox bolted on the inside of -the body B, and not to run all the way across, as shown inthe drawings.l

In operating our track-cleaner, it often becomes necessary to turn thetruck end for end, or transfer it from track to track. In this case we apply n screw-jack, placed under the body of the truck so as to evenly balance it. We new elevate the truck by a. few turns of the screw, and swing it around in the desired position. On roads where there is a double track, t becomes necessary to have the brooms geared to work all in thegsame direction,`so as `not to throw the snow or other obstructions otf from one track on to the other. In this ease we eleco-the brooms C B, C B', C B", and C 13"' in an oblique position. In orderto prevent splashing of snow, nud, or water by.the brooms,on passing vehicles or on thesidewalks, we place lemlndiwrnbbel oiled cloth, or

ight iron fender over the tcp,'an"d partially' on the `sides of the brooms, and at a proper distance, so as not to uterfere with thenronsr workingof the same.'

Having thus described our invention,`its construction and operation, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. Bed-Piate B P, bearings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,'6, 7, 8,9, and 10, shafts T, T', T", amLT', brooms C B, C B', C B, and C 13', shai'ts` S und S', beveiied Wheels V, Y', V", and VY", geared wheels G, G', G", and G, all constructed, combined, and operating in the manner and for the purpose above set forthand describ.ed.

2. The combination and urrungement 0f the screws S C and S C' with the cnr-frame, so as to give the proper dip to brooms C B, C B', C B", and B", as above sot forth und described.

3. A track-cleaner, composed ofthe vabove-described parts, constructed, arranged, and operating in the manner and for the purpose noove set forth und described.

ALBERT A. FREEMAN.

SAMUEL FORD.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. EVANS, ISAAC R. OAxFonn. 

